Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/06/11

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: Screw vs. Thread
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 23:30:47 -0400

At 01:58 AM 6/12/97 UT, Robert Sharp wrote:
>"Schraube" is indeed the German term. I appeal to you etymologically:
isn't it 
>an obvious cognate with the English "screw"?

I suspect we may be getting a bit silly here.  The OED has 'screw'
descending from a mediaeval French word which 'may be related' to the MHG
word leading, ultimately, to 'schraube' but then goes on to refute every
theory advanced to date to connect 'schraube' to 'screw' so, at this point,
the nexus is a non probat.

In any event, 'thread-mount' was the term originally adopted by Leitz and
Praktica for their fitments, and was the ONLY phrase ever used by Zeiss
Ikon, East German or West German, for the mount.  It was the original
rendering;  English and American photographers developed 'screw mount' on
their own devices some years later.  The oldest edition of Morgan & Lester
I have confuses the issue even more by restricting itself to
'interchangeable lens mount'.

My only point is that 'thread-mount' is not the result of any political
correctness campaign.  It is older than 'screw mount' and has a longer
heritage.  It is not a recent concoction.

Marc


Marc James Small
Cha Robh Bas Fir, Gun Ghras Fir!
FAX:  +540/343-7315